Monica Negron totaled five draw controls and five caused turnovers in last year's meeting.

March 8, 2013

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The University of Louisville women’s lacrosse team must endure its quickest turnaround of the season and its first of five-straight games on the road.

On Saturday, the Cardinals play Presbyterian College in a neutral-site match at 5 p.m. at West Forsyth High in Cumming, Ga.

Louisville (4-1) defeated Vanderbilt on Wednesday after a solid first-half performance on both ends of the field. The Cardinals held a 9-4 lead at the break, courtesy of two goals apiece from Nikki Boltja and Katie Oliverio, and the defense forced Vanderbilt into 10 turnovers in the period. Boltja finished with four scores, and Kaylin Morissette had three in the victory. Monica Negron, a key component on defense, picked up three ground balls and totaled a game-high seven draw controls. Ashley Herbst played all 60 minutes in goal and recorded her fourth victory of the season.

As of March 3, before the Cardinals’ game against Vanderbilt, Louisville holds the No. 6 national ranking in caused turnovers per game, No. 15 in scoring offense and scoring margin and is 24th in points and draw controls per game. Individually, Boltja ranks 13th in the country in total goals and 14th in goals per game. Herbst is No. 15 in save percentage and 21st in goals-against average.

Presbyterian (1-5) earned its first win of the season on Tuesday, posting a 17-7 decision over Stetson. The Blue Hose, who dropped their first five contests of the year, are being outscored by their opponents, 112-44. Presbyterian, which is averaging 20.8 turnovers per game, also is losing the draw control (94-73) and ground ball (125-91) battles this season.

In the win over the Stetson, Presbyterian’s Lauren Lefeber had game highs of six goals and six draw controls. Catherine Ellis had four goals in the win, and Jaime Beamish netted a hat trick. As a team, Presbyterian outshot the Hatters, 40-24, and the Blue Hose’s defense forced 21 turnovers.

Presbyterian is under the direction of second-year head coach Julie Redman, who has guided the program to a 4-21 record. Lefeber leads the team this season with 12 goals, while Ellis is first in points (14) and second in goals (11). The Blue Hose were picked to finish seventh in the Big South Conference, the league’s first year sponsoring women’s lacrosse.

The two programs met for the first time last year, with the Cardinals posting a 20-3 victory in Cumming. Nine different Louisville players scored in the win, led by Boltja’s six goals. The defense, which shut out Presbyterian in the second period, forced the Blue Hose into 17 turnovers and limited the to just 1-of-8 on free-position attempts.

Scouting the Opponent
Statistically, Presbyterian boasts one of the top goalies in the country in Bridget Hogan. Through the team’s first five games, Hogan ranks eighth nationally in saves (40) and 28th in saves per game (8.0). While the offense has had trouble maintaining possession, Presbyterian’s defense also has been successful in forcing turnovers. Opponents are averaging 15 turnovers per game.